Iran Foreign Minister Heads to Rome ahead of Nuclear Talks

Iran's foreign minister left for an brief official visit to Italy Tuesday morning, Iranian media reported, before he travels to Geneva where he will represent Tehran in nuclear talks with world powers.

In a stopover in Rome that will last for "a few hours," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will meet his Italian counterpart Emma Bonino to discuss bilateral, regional and international issues, Iranian media said.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said the two would also discuss the conflict in Syria, state broadcaster IRIB said.

Later on Tuesday, Zarif will travel to Geneva to prepare for a new round of talks with the so-called P5+1 group -- the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany -- over Tehran's disputed nuclear program.

On November 8, Zarif canceled a visit to Rome as he stayed in the Swiss city to continue talks, which came close to a long-elusive but stumbled at the last minute.

Talks are scheduled to restart Wednesday, as the P5+1 group aims to convince Iran to roll back its work that Western power suspect is masking a military nuclear drive in exchange for some sanctions relief.